NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9 – International technology policy firm Access Partnership and AfriTrade Consulting Group have formed an alliance to help digital infrastructure companies navigate licensing and regulatory requirements in Kenya and the wider East African region.

📻 Breaking It Down

The partnership combines Access Partnership’s expertise in satellite, spectrum and connectivity regulation with AfriTrade’s regional regulatory knowledge and project-development experience.

The two firms will support operators and investors throughout the project lifecycle, covering market-entry strategies, licensing applications, regulatory approvals and the transition to operational services.

The alliance comes as Kenya seeks to strengthen its position as a regional technology and connectivity hub, attracting investment in data centres, subsea cables, satellite connectivity and other digital infrastructure.

📌 What You Need to Know

The firms said the success of such investments depends not only on securing financing and constructing facilities but also on navigating the regulatory processes required to bring projects into operation.

The partnership will initially focus on satellite and telecommunications licensing, satellite gateways and ground stations, subsea cable landing approvals and data centre authorisations.

Depending on the technology involved, digital infrastructure projects may require telecommunications licences, spectrum authorisations, satellite gateway permissions, cable landing rights and other regulatory clearances.

The firms noted that the increasing interconnection of digital infrastructure means individual investments can involve multiple regulatory areas, making early engagement with relevant authorities important.

Data centres, for instance, support cloud computing, financial services and artificial intelligence, while subsea cables connect international communications networks to domestic telecommunications infrastructure.

Satellite technologies are also expanding connectivity options, particularly in areas where conventional telecommunications infrastructure remains limited.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya